Chapter Seven – Man hunt
Everyone at the WRO headquarters rushed outside to greet the tiresome fighters Marlene had Petal in her arms but as the group filed out Marlene shifted so Petal wasn't able to see that her parents hadn't come back yet.
"Where are the Strifes?" Reeve asked taking in the group approaching them all of them dying to get out of their Mako protective suits.
"We'll call a meeting in fifteen minutes in the conference room once everyone had a chance to get out of these suits" Squall answered before adding
"Rinoa and I will explain everything then but first" Squall finished pointing at his suit.
Fifteen minutes later Petal had been put down for a nap but she hadn't settled easily that was until Marlene had given her Cloud's Fenrir and Tifa's horse teddies. Once Petal had settled everyone including the children had been summoned to the conference room.
"So Squall what do you and Rinoa know about the whereabouts of Cloud and Tifa?" Reeve asked kick starting the meeting. Squall began pacing the room as he spoke
"When Rinoa and I touched the water we were well shown an image of what appeared to be a village that lay under a shadow of a mountain" he paused as a whispers rolled through the room all of them the same
"Nibelheim" Squall cleared his throat to get his attention focused back on him
"As I was saying Rinoa and I were lead through this village to a wooded area which then we were shown a clearing and that is where Cloud and Tifa lie clad in white and in slumber under a oak tree" Squall finished his voice calm but his eyes full of worry after all he had consider Cloud a good friend.
"Well it's off to Nibelheim then" Cid's tired voice cut in.
"Cid how quickly can you get us there?" Vincent asked Cid paused his brain ticking over calculating how fast he can could get them there.
"We could be on our way in um thirty minutes just got some pre flight checks to carry out them we can be on our way" Cid answered scratching his chin before wrapping his arm around Shera.
"Ok Cid get to it we will want to be leaving in just over thirty minutes so get to it" Squall ordered totally forgetting he wasn't really in charge here he really was unpaid help but out of everyone there he had the most experience with leadership.
While Cid and Shera worked on the pre flight checks along with the help of Zell (although Barret and Zell didn't get on Cid and Zell did with both their interest in flight and airships) everyone else had their own jobs to carry out like loading up the ship with many essentials including things like toys and comfort items for Petal, a change of clothes for both Cloud and Tifa, Medical equipment to treat any injuries etcetera. The time it took to load and prepare all these items was as long as it took to do the flight checks.
Squall, Barret and Yuffie were pacing the ship's deck full of concern. Vincent however was his calm usual self or at least he looked to be, Cid didn't have time to worry right now his job was getting to Nibelheim as fast as he could, Marlene and Denzel were trying to stay strong as they helped Quistis and Selphie take care of Petal, Rinoa spent her time really going backwards and forwards to the bathroom feeling rather nauseated with her son growing inside her and well the fear she felt over her friends that she had really gotten close to. Irvine, Zell well they were trying to keep everyone's spirits up but Shelke, Nanaki and the others didn't want anything to do with their carry on and simply the boys were ignored for the majority of the time only getting the occasional sigh or being told that to give it a rest there were more important matters at hand here.
Petal hardly settled at all on the way to Nibelheim all she wanted was her mum and dad that was all that really was going to soothe her at this point, the little girl that was now almost 10 months old and although she was growing and developing at a right old rate and she had known fine well what was happening she was a Strife after all.
"Hey sweetie it's alright" Marlene cooed at Petal lifting into her arms
"Mummy and Daddy will be home soon I know they will" Marlene told the crying infant although it did little to soothe her.
After what seemed an entirety the Shera finally touched down on the plains of Nibelheim and everyone was called to the command deck.
"Right Squall and Rinoa will take lead as they know where Cloud and Tifa slumber but myself, Vincent, Cid, Irvine and you Zell will help with the stretchers and Shera will take the first aid kit, Reeve, Shelke, Nanaki and Quistis you guys stay here, look after the children and get the hospital wing ready we have no idea what we will find okay and Selphie well um you come with us for our own medical backup" Barret grumbled taking a commander role.
Slowly everyone made their way out of the Shera the winter air nipping at their faces making them pull their coats tighter around themselves while carrying all the medical equipment and having their weapons ready just in case, Squall took point leading the way to where he had seen them in Aerith's vision, he didn't of course know Nibelheim but was managing to snake his way the twists and turns easily it was almost as he had lived there all his life or was it he had a keen sense of direction and the fact the vision was still fresh in his mind helped. Suddenly the team was attacked by several Bahba Velamyu but quickly the team easily dealt with them only having Zell and Cid having any such status affects but quickly Selphie casted a double Ensuna on the pair and removed their abnormal status returning them to normal.
They kept going until they finally reached the clearing and true to Aerith's 'word' there with Cloud and Tifa clad in white silk covering their bodies and hands intertwined and their eyes shut and peaceful looks across their faces. It was difficult getting them onto the stretchers what with them refusing to break apart but in all they seemed healthy enough, no cuts or bruises graced their exposed body and they were both steadily breathing.
They made it back without coming across any problems no monsters blocked their paths and soon Cloud and Tifa were back on the Shera and heading to the hospital wing, Medics had come along from the WRO headquarters to take care of any problems that Cloud or Tifa or even both could be suffering physical or physiology trauma. Eventually Cloud and Tifa (fingers still laced together) were hooked up to several monitors, tracking their heartbeats, brainwaves, breathing patterns, blood pressure etc. The place was chaotic people running around the ward, performing many tests on them making sure that they were responding.
Meanwhile in Cloud and Tifa's mind; they found themselves dressed in White garments in a field full of wild flowers, Zack stood watching as Aerith controlled the Lifestream making it dance around Cloud and Tifa, using only it's healing qualities to restore Cloud and Tifa to their original selves but not allowing the Lifestream affect their minds. A dazed yet loving look graced both Cloud and Tifa's faces as the Lifestream preformed its dance around the pair hissing at their skin, closing up the wounds that Genesis had inflicted on them, their heads both span making them feel dizzy and unbalanced and if it weren't for Zack keeping a sudden steady hold on the pair, eventually Zack was able to release them as the Lifestream retreated back to the earth and Cloud and Tifa showed signs of waking up.
Back on the Shera; the monitors started going mental as they alerted a change in the couple's heart rate and brainwaves it seemed after they ran a few checks that they confirmed that they were waking up everyone got ready waiting for one of them at least to open their eyes and as they did the seconds seemed to change into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days and days into years as it seemed the process was slow but eventually everyone gathered breathed a sigh of relief as Cloud and Tifa woke at the same time, their eyes instantly meeting and not known or caring where they were Cloud's fingers trailed along Tifa's face as he crushed his lips to hers, they both melted into the kiss like it was the only thing in the world that mattered to them until Barret once again ruined the moment (Barret the moment killer)
"Hey lovebirds it's good to have you back but come on save it for the bedroom!" Barret shouted at the pair as they blushed deeply and broke their passionate kiss.
"Whatever Barret you're just jealous" Cloud snapped back with Tifa and a few others laughing lightly
"It's good to see you two haven't changed then" Vincent acknowledge. Just then Marlene entered carrying a still crying Petal she hardly stopped over the last 48 hours, Marlene breathed as sigh of well not relief but rather joy seeing the two awake and knowing Petal would soon calm and quite would descend once again on the ship, Tifa shifted slightly as Marlene approached with Petal in her arms.
"Hey sweetie" Tifa said addressing both Marlene and Petal as she took Petal in her arms, Cloud leaned over now moving so he was able to place Tifa into his lap, when he did his eyes met with Petal's and he whispered
"See honey Daddy never breaks a promise" and with that said the little girl giggled and snuggled closer to her mother and finally drifting off into a much needed sleep.
After several tests Cloud and Tifa had to undergo just in case there was any problems they were finally discharged from the medical wing and could go back to their living quarters on the ship. Although they didn't have that long until they would touch down at Edge's WRO headquarters but that didn't mean they didn't make good use of the time they had left on broad, over indulged in passion for one another their love making was well outer worldly, it was probably because of they had both stared death in the eye and come out the other side stronger than ever before and it showed, Tifa collapsed on top of Cloud both of them trembling and covered in sweat but both of them in well a sex coma.
"I love you" Cloud whispered pulling the duvet over the two of them
"I love you too" Tifa muttered snuggling closer to him. They didn't really fall asleep, they just stayed their wrapped in each other's arms listening to the sound of their daughter breathing after Cloud had quickly gotten up and changed her nappy she had been under Shera's watch but they wanted her back they hadn't realised how much they had missed her.
Taking a glance at the clock that lay on the bedside unit as they felt the slight shuddered of the airship as it landed back in Edge just outside the WRO headquarters.
"Morning" Cloud whispered at Tifa gently shifted letting Cloud know she was waking up "Morning to you too sweetie" Tifa sleepily replied. Stretching as they removed themselves rather unwilling from the warmth of their bed they got fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom to shower (Yes they showered together) before heading to the living quarters where Petal was playing happily with Selphie and Rinoa as Shera had been called to the command deck to help with the landing procedures. Petal was now walking and rather well for a nine month old and had tried to run up to her parents as they entered the room she had also began trying to speak
"Mu, Da" she gurgled as Cloud bent down to lift his daughter into his arms to embrace her as Tifa joined the hug wrapping her own arms around the ones she loved kissing them both on their foreheads before feeling a push on her leg as Marlene and Denzel joined the embrace as one big happy family even though in the next few months Marlene was going to moving back with her dad in Kalm but she had always seen Tifa as a mother like figure.
